BYU – Synthesis and Young Ambassadors

I didn’t know at the time of my performance in the Marriott Center that the BYU Jazz Band, Synthesis, was planning a concert that semester.  The director,  Newell Dayley (a composer of some of the hymns) wanted me to sing “MacArthur’s Park” with the band as a guest vocalist for their performance.  I was thrilled with the opportunity. Singing with Synthesis was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity I will never forget.  I didn’t know that the director of the Young Ambassadors, LeRoy (Lee) Gibbons was at the concert and had his eye on me.

He informed the Young Ambassador office personnel that if I was to come into the office to alert him because he wanted to talk to me.  I wandered into the office one day somewhat curious about what it would take to be in Young Ambassadors.  They summoned him and he asked me to audition.  He didn’t think it would be too hard for me to get in because it was between semesters and he didn’t plan on a lot of people knowing about it.  I agreed thinking that I would be a shoe-in because of the personal invitation.

Instead of a few people auditioning, a few hundred tried out.  I was very worried and was trying to give myself courage for the letdown.  To my delight, I made call-backs.  To my horror, they wanted us to learn some simple choreography.  Remember how I don’t like to move my feet when I sing.  I did my best.  We were to stop and tell them when we had the steps.  I learned it fairly fast and they were pleased.  Long story, short.  I was one of the two girls they admitted.

I was in for an opportunity of a life-time.  The problem was that they all knew the show that was soon to go on tour, and had been rehearsing for months.  I had to learn the whole thing with the choreography in just 10 days!  They added “MacArthur Park” and my Swiss yodel to the lineup and I started to learn the show.  They made me a beautiful light green gown with sparkling trim to sing in. I was in heaven!  I was also given a solo in “The Circle of our Love”, from Saturday’s Warrior.  We toured California for almost a month that year.

While on tour, in addition to our performances during the week, we did Sunday sacrament meetings and firesides.  We did Doug Stewart and Lex de Azevedo’s “The Master’s Touch” (a musical scripture presentation).  Lee made me the music director for the presentation.  It was an amazing experience.

One very funny thing happened one night.  We all had solo bits during the show.  We were performing in a high school auditorium one evening and it seemed like the bathrooms were about a mile from the stage.  One of our singers was “sitting on the throne” when she heard the introduction to the second act begin.  She had a solo in the opener to the second act, “Here’s That Rainy Day.”  All of us were in place on stage ready to go, singing our back-up to her solo.  I noticed she wasn’t there and calmly let go of my partner’s arm and took center stage and sang her solo.  I had never sung it in my life, but had heard her sing it many times.  Then I moved back into position for the rest of the song as if it were my part all along.  The rest of the group were very appreciative!

I had learned to think fast singing with Kathy, my younger sister.  We sometimes sang duets together.  When she got nervous she would sing my part, so I would sing hers so we would have harmony.  The two of us darted back and forth across the song acting like that is what we had planned all along.

Looking back, the only blight upon the whole experience was my inferiority complex.  I was from a totally different social class from the other performers.  They sensed it and I really felt it.  I found myself hanging out with the stage crew where I felt more comfortable.

At the end of the semester we recorded an album.  I had never done a professional recording before.  They put “MacArthur’s Park” on the album.  The band had laid their tracks earlier and we would sing with a headset playing their part.  PROBLEM!  We had been recording all day, doing my song last.  I didn’t know that your ears can go funny on you.  Evidently the cilia hairs in your ears will lay down after a long day of using a head set, and alter the pitch you hear.

Lee stopped me half way through my recording and had me come into the sound booth to listen.  To my horror, I was a half key flat the whole time.  I don’t sing off pitch normally.  He explained that we had to record it anyway and wanted me to adjust the pitch and go again.  It was awful having to sing a half key sharp the whole song.  The problem was that I sounded flat much of the piece and can hardly stand to listen to it.  Oh, well, it had been a heck of a ride!

(Here is the recording of me singing MacArthur Park on the album.  I shortened it by removing the band’s interlude.  If you don’t have time to listen to the whole thing, skip to the ending.  Please ignore the flat parts!)

The next year, stories flew that they were going to have scales at the auditions and make us weigh in.  I was mortified.  Keeping my weight down was a sensitive issue.  Evidentially they wanted thinner girls that year.  Several of us decided to opt out.

I received an invitation to have a personal audition for the “Saturday’s Warrior” tour.  My voice teacher wanted me to try for the San Francisco Metropolitan Opera company saying that with a little work I had a real chance of making it.  I could see a road ahead of me, splitting in two different directions.  I got still and decided to pull in and take a different path.  I wanted to be a mom.

My days in the spotlight were amazing learning opportunities; gifts that have constantly blessed my life.  They have given me courage to magnify my callings, given me the ability to aim a little higher.  Impossibilities became possibilities.  God gave me a chance to try my wings.  Now, I have the chance to pay it forward, encouraging others to fly.